Orthopedic fixation devices may be configured to stabilize bones. An example of a fixation device is a plate attachable to a bone portion. The plate may be connected to separate bone or another portion of the same bone. This may be accomplished with or without other connecting devices.
For spinal applications, one or more rods may run longitudinally along the spine and connect to the plate. Additional devices, such as vertebral mounts, cables, wires, hooks, screws, or other connectors may be attached to a vertebra and connected to the rod as well.
One difficult portion of the spine is the location about the skull of a patient. Occipital bone plates have been developed to provide anchor locations for spinal rod fixation to the skull of a patient.
Conventionally, plates may be chosen from a set of plates provided in multiple sizes or geometries. This requires higher costs and the need for a relatively large inventory of plates. A surgeon selects the plate from the inventory that best fits the patient anatomy. Sizing and selecting the plate generally increases the length of a surgical procedure. For example, a surgeon may need to position multiple plates at the patient's occipital region until the best fitting plate is selected with a satisfactory size and orientation for fixation of the rods.
Despite a longstanding interesting in spinal treatment, there is a need in the industry for improved fixation systems that reduce inventory and surgery duration while still providing a secure and reliable connection between the rod and the occipital or other bone structure.